Lament for Innocence
by AsherAtori
Summary: What happened after Link defeated Ganon to make Zelda turn back the clock seven years? A twist on the end of OoT


The beast fell forward with a groan, its energy depleted, and certain demise on the horizon. The hero raised his sword above his head once more and cried out, bringing all of his weight down, forcing the metal forged by gods through the skull of the monstrosity before him. A crack rang out as metal broke through bone and blade met brain. The creature cried out once more reaching desperately forward for the hero. And then it quieted and life left it far quicker than it had come. The evil king Ganondorf had been defeated

The hero pulled free the blade and watched as blood moved from the wound into a puddle. A silence passed over him. He had killed many like this before. But it was over now; the great enemy had been defeated. Ganon was truly no more. He let out a breath slowly and the Master Sword slipped from his fingers falling into the pool of blood from his slain opponent. The beast was dead and the world of Hyrule would need a hero no more.

He stared ahead mutely, a feeling more frigid than any before moved up his spine and rested at the base of his skull. There was nothing left for him in this world, no uses for a man whose one trait was bringing forth death. Sure, the history books would say he was a master at doing in his enemy, and swiftly at that, but it was death nonetheless. And in a world without villains there was no room for heroes lest they become wayward and the villain themselves. He had faced himself in darkness once, had nearly died with his shadow. Now, as he stood there, that shadow crept forward and his heart felt opened to it.

The hero reached forward and touched the creature. He could feel a knot in his throat and the threat of tears. He had all but forgotten the woman behind him; watching quietly, pondering perhaps, why the hero had not swept her away had not made love to her in ways contrary to his rough exterior and dangerous nature. He let his mind wander to the doomed future he had created with a swift strike of his blade. For the beds of princesses were not always welcoming to those not born of noble blood. Zelda did not seem like she cared much for him and it occurred to him he cared even less for her. He had saved her, a knightly duty done of a man not born into knighthood, but they would mar that in the books, tweak facts just a bit to make it otherwise.

He rose slowly and turned to her, his eyes downcast. "There is nothing left for me."

The princess opened her mouth in protest but closed it again quickly. She looked past the man at the beast. It had been her doing that had made him what he was. She had charged him with this creature destruction, thus dooming him to a sullied existence spent mucking in blood and bone. "They will call you hero Link, good king of the new land." She said. "You will be hailed as the greatest hero that has ever walked." But she could see his disappointment and drew her lips together.

He laughed at her bitterly, "And then I live out the rest of my days to be undone by what? Old age, a bad heart perhaps? There is no honor in that!" He snapped making her take two steps back.

"There is honor in love? Would death of old age truly be so terrible if a long life was spent creating a world made of purities, ruled by a man whose heart was pure with a loving wife by your side?"

He laughed again making her catch her breath in her throat. "Are you offering yourself to me princess? The spoils for a job well done?" he turned away from her back towards the beast. "A man like me cannot know love. A man like me can know nothing but the hunt and thrill that comes with striking down creatures with hearts blacker than our own. People like you, and those who serve you see us as pure and good natured, but one can only kill so many things that are too wrong to describe before they find themselves less that right with the world. All of your legends speak of heroes born pure and I know I was but not anymore. That day I met you I was innocent, Seven years later I can no longer say that."

"But you can change…all men have the capacity to change." She had fallen to her knees, crawling towards him slowly. "I won't believe that little boy I met seven years ago has changed so much. I cannot."

"Give it back to me then." He turned and hauled her up to her feet by the front of her dress. "Give me back my innocence."

The princess felt her jaw go slack. She turned her head slowly, defiant. "But what I want…"

"I have done everything you asked now give me my innocence!" he roared pulling her close to him, his hands coiled around her throat.

She gasped and cried out, her windpipe slowly collapsing under his strength. Defeated she nodded furiously. "Give me the Ocarina of Time."

He offered it forward. She took it from him and spoke one last time. "What I had wanted to give you. I would have given you my kingdom, my people, my body anything your heart could desire."

He shook his head; "What I desire only darkness and death can give me. I crave the thrill in the hunt and kill not the pleasures of flesh or wealth."

She nodded her head as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She pressed the flute to her lips and played; melody moving around them and then a flash and darkness. He could feel his body change, could feel aches and wounds heal. Seven years had passed again but this time in reverse and he was young again. The Master sword was back in its pedestal, free of the scratches and chips it had endured in his journey. He touched the hilt and remembered the way it had felt in his adult hands. He would miss the chase, this he knew.

He moved from the temple and bazaar away from everything. He never turned back once he reached the hill his eyes fixated ahead. There was promise on the horizon and he would reach it soon. The nightmares would fade over time, this he knew. Until they were gone however, he would not call Hyrule home. Too many things plagued his mind too many memories of things that had not yet passed. And so he moved onto Termina where he was not a hero. Where he would be nothing more than an innocent boy.


End file.
